Richard Branson. Photo: Luke Maxwell
Siliconrepublic.com caught up with Virgin Group founder Richard Branson today and asked for his thoughts on entrepreneurship and the current valuations of so-called unicorns
As most readers will know by now, Virgin Media (formerly UPC Ireland) was launched today in Dublin to the kind of fanfare we have grown to expect from the famous brand.
As an invited audience gathered in Dublin’s RDS to hear from the iconic founder of Virgin Global, they were treated to the man himself bursting onto the scene in a huge Virgin Media branded juggernaut (literally). The huge vehicle will be making further appearances in a major advertising campaign set to start next week to coincide with the launch proper of the Virgin Mobile service on 5 October.
Away from all the buzz and excitement, Silicon Republic’s CEO Ann O’Dea sat down with Branson to talk about the brand values of Virgin, entrepreneurship in schools and his thoughts on the ‘so-called’ tech bubble that has seen massive valuations for web-based enterprises, particularly in the US.
Richard Branson — a frank conversation
Watch out for Part 2 of the interview tomorrow (2 October), when Branson chats about the importance of diversity in business, social transformation and the imperative of a truly equal society.
Never one to shy away from controversy, he spoke with customary frankness, reminiscing about the days when Virgin was prevented from selling condoms in Ireland and discussing divisive issues like abortion. You won’t want to miss it.
